While we spend most our time in schools from age 6 to age 22 minimum, we don’t start understanding life until about mid-forties or early fifteen and sometimes never…
Whoever invented schooling had a good idea however I am not sure we need so many years in the classroom. It is true that the learnings help shape our minds and brains and help us become who we are at the adult age. On the other hand, I am not certain this much information equip us with the right stuff to deal with the real life.
As I graduated from university, I embraced life with full passion and the desire to conquer the world. Looking back I think I was beautifully naïve. Today with the university years way behind me, I cannot judge my success or failure based only on my academic and technical skills. While we invest so much time and money into acquiring degrees and skills, professional life is much more concerned with something else. Something that doesn’t necessarily require you to be the best, something simply called people skills.
There isn’t one single person on this planet that has achieved a tremendous amount of success without the help of others. Getting people to join you, adhere to your vision, follow you and help you get ahead is one of the most difficult things to ever be learnt. I now understand why they don’t teach this stuff in schools. Additionally, leadership classes are taught but at a very late age when the person has already misconceptions about life, limitations and prejudices. Teaching kids how to lead themselves and others, how to initiate projects and excel at communication would enable all to be healthy and sound from an early age. But of course, we don’t want everyone to be a leader!! A leader must have followers. Else there is no point in being a leader.
If there is one thing I recommend young students and professionals to spend most time on is soft skills : skills not taught in schools but acquired in the real life.
And you, what is the best thing you’ve learned outside of school?
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